In this day of an ever impending idiocracy, I am aware of the growing population of proud ignoramuses, but this is not the case. Let’s take a scenario I’ve seen too often: Someone whose upbringing had limited their access or encouragement of pursuing arts until now, yet they decide to attend an art gallery to expand their interests. Said individual tries to break the ice with more cultured patrons in an effort learn more. They inadvertently say something that reveals their lack of education, only to be stealthily mocked by the more educated patrons. Humiliated, they never return to the museum again. Like a library, a museum is one of the few centers of free thought left. There is no place for snobbery and caste behavior. Every expression of “I don’t get it” is as valid as every overanalysis that goes over the former’s heads.

This example does not mean laymen are blame-free or that Art communities are fully responsible. There are mutual misunderstandings that are resolvable.

Part 1: Misconceptions from the laymen

Honestly, the one aspect of a lot of art can be explained in the historical context of certain works, which anyone can learn in a lecture, a community college class, or online on Khan Academy. Obviously, Art has evolved over time and due to this nature many works suffer from the “Simpsons is not funny” phenomenon. For an example, Jackson Pollock’s works were so groundbreaking because they were the first of their kind. Today, like the Simpsons in a 2010 television landscape, Pollock’s studies now get lost in the sea of works that have been influenced by his own. Naturally, anyone jaded by the influences would find the original just as awful without context. The Art people have the most issue with Contemporary Art is a result of everything that has come and gone in the last 400 years.

Most contemporary pieces require explanation due to their overly symbolic and intra-referential nature. That’s where the Artist’s Statement comes in. Though it should be noted that a part of art’s subjectiveness lies in the fact that many interpretations are developed from one work. Some gain no interpretation at all. Unless the artist had a specific message in mind, no person is more right than the other.

Part 2: Misconceptions from the Artists

Based on his analyses, what Alex does not seems to think all artworks automatically come with a message, which is far from the truth. There are a lot of appreciated artists throughout history who created works that had no political or social message. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Tamara De Lempicka are two favorite examples of mine. The strangest thing is while the former is often praised by art professors, the latter is shunned. Interestingly, De Lempicka still gets her works reproduced onto towels and tote bags like Lautrec all the same. What makes him more legitimate in the art world than her?

Alcoholic? Check! Died young? Check! Died penniless? Nope. Guess he’s only 2/3rds of a “true” artist!

I speculate that the artists who openly admit that fact are rarely seen in high profile museums. The ones who do often make one up to appease the stereotypes of the trendy art elite. A lot of artists ignored by this “elite” nowadays promote their work in galleries, coffee shops, breweries, non-profit art spaces, art festivals and outdoor art shows. You get much more of a variety of ideas and creators.

Conclusion

The “Laws” of Art has been in changing and continues to change. Artists will always continue to debate what is and isn’t “art”. If both sides want to survive into digital age they will have to change how they see the other side.